Dehradun : In order to establish Uttarakhand as the most preferred tourist destination across the country, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) organized roadshows in four cities of Gujarat. The event Ultimate Uttarakhand, was held from January 15 to January 20 in Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Rajkot, in which various programs were organized with the aim of encouraging tourism in Uttarakhand and inviting investment in the state’s tourism industry. After these roadshows, it is expected that the number of tourists coming from Gujarat to Uttarakhand will increase exponentially.
During this, UTDB officials also interacted with the media highlighting the unexplored aspects of tourism and other attractions of Uttarakhand. The people of Gujarat were also introduced to the new tourist destinations being developed in Uttarakhand and the merits of the International Yoga Festival to be organized in the coming March. UTDB officials gave detailed information of the natural beauty and the tourism facilities available in the state through audio-visual presentation.
Various activities were organized in various shopping malls in all the four cities with an aim to create connect with the local people and provide them information about Uttarakhand tourism. A quiz contest was also organized by UTDB for the people who came here, in which questions were asked about the major tourist places of Uttarakhand and famous personalities of Uttarakhand. Those who answered correctly were given handicraft items, insignia of Uttarakhand and delicious Bal Mithai of the state. Also, major tourist and religious places of Uttarakhand were presented through audio visual.
Among other activities of the roadshow, officials of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council led by Shri Sachin Kurve, Tourism Secretary, Government of Uttarakhand held meetings with tour operators of these cities. The purpose of these meetings was to promote tourism from Gujarat in Uttarakhand and a detailed presentation was also showcased about the untouched and offbeat tourist places of the state. In addition to the Tourism Secretary, other officials, Shri Sumit Pant, Director Publicity and Marketing, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Council and Shri Kamal Kishor Joshi, Public Relations Officer, Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board, etc also interacted with the tour operators. Major tour operators of Uttarakhand also participated in the meeting. These tour operators interacted with the tour operators of Gujarat and made them aware of the possibilities of tourism in Uttarakhand and the incentive scheme provided by the state government to the tour operators for the International Yoga Festival 2023. They also agreed for the mutual co-operation between each other .These meetings were held in Rajkot on January 16, Ahmedabad on January 18, Vadodara on January 9 and Surat on January 20.
A meeting was held in Ahmedabad on 18th January between the Tourism Secretary and the investors from Gujarat, in which a detailed discussion was held through a presentation about the possibilities of tourism related investments in Uttarakhand. Along with this, information about the state’s new tourism policy, incentive schemes for investors and cooperation from the government was shared with the investors. In this meeting, investors also expressed their desire to invest in Uttarakhand.
*Tourism Secretary Shri Sachin Kurve* said, “In 2022, more than three crore tourists arrived in Uttarakhand, of which 12-15 percent were from Gujarat. In the Gujarat event, we have unveiled many unexplored places drenched in beautiful landscapes in addition to the well-known tourist places of Uttarakhand.” As a result of which we are hopeful of an unmatched growth of tourism in the state this year and in the years to come. We are overwhelmed with the very positive response received from the tour operators and investors and we are are planning to do such roadshows in other states”.
